


A girl's worth

by One_Lone_Witch



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Gen, Kidnapping, Original Dragons - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-12-15
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:14:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27588668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/One_Lone_Witch/pseuds/One_Lone_Witch
Summary: A girl and her dragon. Nothing could be more simple than that... but what if her past threatens to catch up to her? Will she find the strength to escape once more? And what will her Berkian friends do when they find out? Will they stay by her side or leave her to her faith?
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

Sitting all alone on a grassy field, a girl is staring out towards the sea, watching it crash against the shore beneath her. The breeze is blowing around her, making her brown hair float every which way. She can just see the shapes of several dragons moving about nearby, making her smile. This place, this dragon island, is her life.

From behind her, a dragon comes inching closer, its blue body moving soundlessly across the grass. It observes the girl intently, watching for every movement from her. Just before it reaches the girl, she starts talking.

"Trying to scare me, Gaoth?" She asks teasingly without turning around. “You know you have to do better than that to get to me.”

The dragon huffs, bumping the girl's back with its head before walking around her to drop down and place its head on the girl's lap. 

"You're just a big cuddler, aren't you, girl?" The girl says lovingly, her hand moving down to scratch the dragon's head. At this, the dragon seems to relax instantly, which relaxes her rider as well. 

The girl looks down at Gaoth, checking out the dragon. She’s a Windslicer, a strike class dragon with the ability to fly at the speed of light. It has an exceptional sense of hearing and can blast white-hot fireballs with surprising accuracy. Her body is streamlined with slightly bigger than average wings. The Windslicer isn’t easy to bond with but once it trusts you, it gets really protective.

In the distance, the girl notices something coming closer and closer, fast. Gaoth, noticing this as well, gets up quickly and steps in front of her rider, using her long and lean body to hide the girl from sight.

"It's alright, girl," the rider says, placing a comforting hand on the dragon's hide. "Look, it's just a terrible terror."

And indeed, as the thing comes closer, they can see the unmistakable shape of the small dragon known as the terrible terror. Its ability to fly great distances and its small size, which is comparable to a big cat, make them excellent messenger dragons as they can be brought along in carrier bags.

As the dragon reaches them, it immediately lands on the girl's shoulder, rubbing its head against her cheek. The girl chuckles, untying the little scroll that's wrapped around the little dragon's leg after which she gives it a treat from one of Gaoth's saddlebags.

"Here you go, little one. You did a great job," she says, before turning her attention to the scroll. She hums, turning to Gaoth who's eyeing the terrible terror suspiciously. "Cut that out, little miss, he's delivering a message from our Berkian friends. They're inviting us to a picnic."

The girl grins as she straps a saddle to the dragon's body, tying the saddlebags to it as well. "Well, we can hardly say no to visiting them, right? Especially when they promise some yummy dragon treats." She places the terrible terror in a special basket which she attaches to the saddle before she hops on as well. 

"Let's go to Berk," she says, as Gaoth pushes off the ground.


	2. Chapter 2

At first glance, Thyra Osbern seems like an average viking girl, if not for her love for dragons. The idea of training dragons instead of fighting them is something many vikings have embraced by now, but, unlike them, she has an extra reason to love the reptilians. She can actually communicate with them.

Well, honestly … it's not really that straightforward. After all, dragons don't communicate like humans do. Instead of words, dragons use body language and feelings to get their thoughts across. So actually, it's more accurate to say that Thyra can intercept those feelings and put them into words.

It's not a very common gift, some might even call it a curse but Thyra has never seen it that way. To her, it's always meant that she's meant to help the dragon community merge with the vikings. To gain mutual understanding. 

For years, she'd been alone in that way of thinking. That is, until she met Hiccup, son of the chief of the Hooligan tribe, an average-sized tribe in the middle of the archipelago on a small island called Berk. From the first time she met him, she knew he was different. That belief was proven correct when he found his dragon Toothless, the Night Fury. It’s one of the rarest dragon species, earning its name from the fact that it has a black skin tone and almost only attacks at night.

As Berk began to open up to the idea of living together with dragons, she started teaching vikings to work alongside the dragons which resulted in her earning a special place on the island as ‘dragon whisperer’. 

Even though they offered her a permanent home on the island, she decided to stay on Dragon Island where she takes care of ill and vulnerable dragons. Dragons she rescues with the help of Hiccup and his friends. She truly has a lot to thank the Berkians for. These Hooligans have truly become like family to her even though she knows that they can never know the complete truth about her. 

She closes her eyes, only allowing herself to think about the wind that blows through her hair as they’re flying through the air, Gaoth’s blue skin blending in perfectly with the blue sky. In no time at all, they arrive at Berk, circling around the main settlement to end up in the woods on the other side of the island. “Our past is behind us, Gaoth. They don’t need to know the truth because it doesn’t matter anymore,” she mutters softly. For some time now, her thoughts have gone back to her family once upon a long time ago. Every time, a feeling of longing and sorrow fall over her but she knows that she can never go back, that she’s better off now.

Gaoth lets out a low rumbling in her throat, wanting to lighten her rider’s mood as she can feel the girl starting to get down. Just to prove her point, she performs a few tricks, earning a chuckle from Thyra. “You’re right. It’s no use living in the past while we can have so much fun here in the present.”

As they reach the edge of a cliff, they can already see a group of people and dragons there, busy setting down food and drinks. “Hey, guys!” Thyra calls out as she jumps off of Gaoth’s back as soon as they’ve landed. “I heard something about a picnic happening.”

Six heads turn in their directions, greetings being thrown at them. 

“Glad you could make it,” Astrid says, moving over to hug Thyra. She’s Hiccup’s (un)official girlfriend and the rider of Stormfly, a Deadly Nadder. This type of dragon moves on two legs with spines all over its body. Even though they look very dangerous, they can be big sweethearts.

“You heard right. Come on,” the blonde girl says, leading Thyra over to the others, Gaoth following not too far behind. They sit down with the others, enjoying sandwiches and tea while the dragons snack on fish and play together.

Suddenly, Gaoth stops moving, standing still while she seems to listen to something. “What’s wrong, girl?” Thyra asks, immediately noticing her dragon’s strange behavior. She takes a moment to assess what the dragon is feeling though what she finds sends waves of terror washing over her. 

“What is it?” Hiccup asks, the whole group falling silent as they watch the dragon and rider.

“Dragon hunters,” Thyra says, rushing over to the Windslicer and climbing on. “They’re heavily armed and surrounding the island. Hiccup, you and Fishlegs should fly to your father, warn him that we’re about to be attacked. Meanwhile, we need to move all wild dragons, make them flee at least for a little while. Snotlout, you and the twins should take the east side of the island. Astrid, you and I will take the west side.”

Already, all riders are on their dragons, nodding as they hear the plan. As soon as she’s done talking, they take off, the picnic forgotten completely.


	3. Chapter 3

Thyra flies along with Astrid, staying close to the trees as they look for any stray dragons who could fall victim to the hunters. "Get away from here!" She calls out to all the dragons they find.

"Thyra, look!" Astrid says, pointing over to a spot a bit further away from them where a Monstrous Nightmare is flying, its lizard-like body sliding through the air. Thyra is about to call out for the dragon when it is taken down with a net. The poor thing tries to flame up, which means that it sets its whole body aflame, but the net doesn't seem to be affected. The girls watch as the dragon is pulled down to the ground, roaring for help.

Thyra nods at Astrid, both girls falling completely silent as they fly closer to the place the dragon was caught. Silently, Thyra counts down before they dive down, starting to circle the hunter.

Closer and closer they fly, seeing the hunter fumble with his crossbow. He looks from one rider to the other, eventually focusing on Thyra which leaves him with his back to Astrid and Stormfly.

"Stormfly, single spike shot!" Astrid quickly says, making the dragon flick her tail, shooting a spine at the hunter. The man is hit in the leg and the venom from the spike instantly paralyzed him, making him fall to his face.

"You've been training," Thyra comments, smiling at the other girl as she moves over to the paralyzed viking while Astrid frees the Monstrous Nightmare which immediately flies away.

"I thought they weren't here yet," Astrid says instead of answering Thyra. There’s no time for jokes or niceties now. "If he's already here, that could mean that there are other hunters in the woods as well. We should warn the others."

Thyra nods, knowing all too well what it could mean. She crouched down, turning the man on his back. She gasps as she realizes that she knows him. Cursing under her breath, she gets up quickly and climbs back onto Gaoth. "We have to get to Hiccup and the others. If this is who I think it is, these hunters are the least of our problems."

What's going on? Who is he?" Astrid asks, rushing to climb back onto Stormfly's back and fly after Thyra and Gaoth. "Thyra, slow down."

Thyra flies up higher and higher, seeing too many boats in Berk's harbour and, more importantly, most of them have dragon catching material on them. "Change of plans, Astrid. I need you to go through the woods. Make sure no one sees you and don't come out of hiding. Not for anything."

"What's going on? Who are these vikings?" Astrid asks again. 

"You'll have to trust me," Thyra answers. "You'll understand soon enough, just follow my instructions and I promise everything will be fine."

Without another word, she flies away, leaving Astrid no choice but to do as she's told.

"This is it, Gaoth," Thyra mutters. "We knew this could happen. We've gotten too comfortable here. I knew we shouldn't have hung around for as long as we did. We've put everyone in danger."

As they get closer to the settlement, they can already see that the streets aren’t bustling with vikings as usual. Everything is too silent. Big cages come into view, inside of which can be seen movement. "He wouldn't dare, would he?" She says slowly, dreading the idea but as time goes by and the cages get clearer, her fears are realized.

The cages are filled with vikings, fighting to find a way out. To the side are two more cages, one holding Hiccup, Fishlegs, and their dragons. The other holds Snotlout, the twins, and their dragons. They must've been captured while looking for other dragons.

"It's even worse than I thought," Thyra gasps. "Whatever you do, don't stop flying, Gaoth."

The dragon growls to which Thyra shakes her head. "No way. You won't be saving anyone if you stay here. You won’t be protecting me, you'll get yourself killed. I need you to take care of the other dragons. They need someone to protect them. I can’t do that anymore now and you can’t protect me anymore from what is to come." The dragon seems to protest again but eventually relents. "I love you, girl. I'll miss you. Thank you for everything you did for me."

While still flying, Thyra climbs out of her saddle, climbing down Gaoth's front leg, hanging from it. As soon as they fly over the town's square, she lets herself fall, landing on her feet. The momentum makes her do a barrel roll before getting back up on her feet again.

She immediately rushes over to the nearest cage to try and release the trapped people. "It's going to be alright, I promise," she tells them while looking for a way to pick the lock.

"Look who decided to make an appearance," she suddenly hears someone behind her say. "And here I thought you were dead."

She turns around to see a tall, beefy man looking down at her. He has a scowl on his scarred face and his arms are crossed as his almost black eyes move over her.

"Let everyone go," Thyra says, standing up straighter under his scrutinizing gaze.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the man says. "After all, they took my daughter from me."

"That's impossible," the girl says, shaking her head. "These people are too kind for that. Besides, I left you, father."


	4. Chapter 4

In the silence that follows, Thyra quickly continues. "The only thing these vikings are guilty of is being kind to me and my dragon. Something you never were."

The man's hand lashes out, striking her cheek which makes her stumble against the cage. "You will not speak to me in such a way," her father snaps. "You will be punished for your insubordination."

"Fine, but you have to let everyone go," Thyra stresses, not wanting anything bad to happen to her friends. They surely don't deserve that after all they did for her.

“Actually, before you so miraculously arrived, I had a talk with one of these precious  _ dragon lovers _ of yours,” the man says. “One chief to another, father to father. He denied knowing where you were.” With a snap of his fingers, several men step forward, holding lit torches. “For that, I was thinking that we’d burn this whole place to the ground.”

“You can’t!” Thyra cries out, rushing to her father to attack him, only to be caught by two other men who hold her tightly while another binds her hands behind her back. “What you’re doing is murder! Even you wouldn’t go this far. This is crazy. Stop this! You’ve got what you came for, don’t you?”

“I’m ridding this place of a disease,” her father says, grabbing her chin tightly to make her watch while several houses are torched. “Soon all these silly ideas of dragons being equal to us will be forgotten again. After all, look what happened here. A vicious dragon attack by the very dragons who should have been their friends. We could only rescue you before you were consumed by the flames as well.”

Thyra struggles to get free, not wanting the Berkians to have to suffer for her stupid actions.  _ ‘I should’ve left when I still had the chance, _ ’ she thinks to herself.  _ ‘This is all my fault. Please, Odin, save Berk, make sure they survive and I promise I won’t escape my father again.’ _

“Please, father, stop this!” she cries out, trying to pull her arms free. “This is wrong. You can’t do this. I promise, I’ll do whatever you want. Just stop, extinguish the fires now you still can.”

“I don’t need your promise to make you do what I want. Let this be a lesson to you what happens when you don’t do as you’re told,” the man says, waving a hand at the men holding her, who then start dragging her towards the harbor. “Time for you to go home again, dear daughter.”

“Save them! You have to save them!” Thyra cries out all the way to the boats where she’s tied to the main mast. Still she doesn’t stop pleading with the men already at the harbor with her. She pleads her heart out until they get so fed up that they gag her. Every one of them knows that nothing can change their chief’s mind once he’s made it up. The Berkians are done for. She’ll just have to accept it. It’s the only way she’s going to get through life.

Silent tears roll down her cheeks as Thyra can only watch black smoke starting to rise up from the village while her father’s tribe just go about their business, taking weapons and food with them. Berk won’t be needing it anymore anyway on their way to Valhalla.

All Thyra can do is hope that Astrid won't get caught. That Astrid will do what she couldn't and save the people of Berk.

Set sail, men!" Her father thunders as he gets onto the same ship as her. "We have what we came for. Let's go home!"

From all around her, cheers fill the air while Thyra just wants to curl up and disappear. 


	5. Chapter 5

On the way home, most vikings just ignore the crying girl, not wanting to feel the wrath of their chief. They all know she’s not at all in his good graces right now and it’s never a good idea to mingle with someone in her position. Truly, their chief is ruthless. The only reason why they didn’t leave the girl to burn with the rest of Berk is because she’s the chief’s daughter and only child. He needs her to be his successor or to at least give him a successor that does know how to listen and be obedient to his wishes and way of thinking.

Eventually, Thyra wipes her cheeks on the shoulders of her tunic, seeing her childhood home coming into view. It stands on the hill of one of the bigger islands in the archipelago. Around it is their actual village. It appears like slaves looking up at their master which is basically what it’s truly like when living in their tribe. 

“Welcome home, dear daughter,” her father, Erwin the Cruel, says, walking up to her. He pats her on the shoulder in a way that could be seen as almost fatherly if it hadn’t been so forcefully done. She has to grind her teeth on her gag, trying not to show how much it hurts. “You’ll see that not much has changed since you were taken away.”

_ ‘I went away willingly!’ _ Thyra wants to scream at him, preferably at a safe distance. 

Ever since she was little, she’s been afraid of the man who calls himself her father. The man has been drilling her to be just like him ever since she was old enough to hold a weapon. Other fathers would be gentle in training their children, but her father never was like that. From their first training, he’d come at her with full strength, teaching her from an early age that you can never trust anyone, that you can only trust yourself and the weapon in your hand.

Such a thing would make any child fear her life that’s yet to come, but instead it inspired Thyra to live her life to the fullest, living every day like it could be the last. After all, if it was up to her father, it very well could be her last free day. He was quick to start finding a possible suitor for her. Someone strong yet loyal, courageous yet submissive towards him.  _ It was always somehow more about him than it was ever about her. _

It never occured to Thyra to run away, not even when she first started rebelling against her father and tribe by setting free confined dragons at night. Her tribe always used caged dragons in bloody arena games. The dragons that ended up there never made it out alive again and she just couldn’t bear it anymore. She just went with the flow, being the obedient daughter at day and the dragon savior at night. 

This all changed when she met Gaoth. She saved the Windslicer from a new trap, almost getting caught, only to be saved in turn by the great dragon. At first, the dragon tried to drop the girl off somewhere safe but as Thyra seemed to hear her thoughts, they ended up talking and flying all night. It was the beginning of a great friendship and nights filled with laughter and freedom. It truly was the highlight of every day for Thyra. 

That is, until her father came to her with the notion that he’d found her a husband. At this point, fifteen-year-old Thyra’s world came crashing down. Especially when details of the arrangements of the wedding found their way to her. The festivities were to take place on the day of her sixteenth birthday.

That’s when the plan started to form in her mind. The night before her world was to turn upside down, she asked to spend some time alone to reflect on everything and to contact the gods to ask for their guidance and blessing. Making sure she was in a field far enough away from everyone but close enough so that many would see, Thyra let Gaoth swoop down, picking her up like she’s just a simple sheep ready to be eaten as dinner. 

She never thought anyone would find out the truth of the matter, but she forgot about her father’s determination. If he only had a little doubt about what happened, he’d keep looking until he found her which obviously has happened in the end. It truly had been a rookie mistake which now cost her everything and everyone she holds dear.

Eventually, the ship enters the harbor and everyone starts to unload. Surprisingly, Erwin takes out Thyra’s gag and undoes her binds right before they reach the village. “Don’t try to run again,” he threatens, grabbing the twenty-year-old’s arm tightly enough to surely leave a bruise. “Just smile like you’ve been rescued. If you do that, maybe your punishment will be less severe.”

Her eyes become a thundercloud of emotions, thoughts swirling around in her head though one stands out.  _ Did he really have that much nerve after all that he’s done to me? _

“What else will you do to punish me? You already killed all my friends,” Thyra sneers, finding the nerve somewhere to talk back to the man. “There’s not much more you can do to make me feel even worse than I already do.”

“Trust me, daughter of mine. What happened on Berk is only foreplay compared to what I can do to you as punishment for staying away for so long. Do you honestly want to test me on this?”

Thyra’s mouth suddenly goes dry and she shakes her head. “That’s what I thought,” Erwin says, dragging her off the ship after everything else is empty. 

Thyra quickly rushes along with her father, not wanting him to have to drag her as that would only hurt her arm more. She puts on a small smile, nodding at villagers who hadn’t been at the raid/’rescue’. She goes through their little charade, playing along with her father’s lies about what happened to her. It goes on all the way to their home. Only as they get inside, does her father let her go.

“See, that wasn’t so hard, now was it?” her father snaps as soon as they’re alone. Thyra quickly steps back, needing some more space just to be able to breathe and organize her thoughts. 

“You should’ve just left me on Berk,” the girl says softly. “I don’t belong here. I belong with my dragon and my friends.”

Her father rushes up to her, grabbing a fistful of hair and pulling her head back roughly, earning him a cry of pain. “I suggest you stop talking like that.”

Involuntarily, she yelps.  _ It was my weakness that put everyone at risk. _ She feels herself bite her lip to keep from thinking about the pain that her father is trying to inflict on her. He wants to believe that he can control her through fear, that he is the owner and she the slave. He wants to make her one of  _ them,  _ and she has to make sure that her next move will not only take back her freedom but destroy him while protecting those she loves in the process.

Erwin scowls as he pushes his daughter away from him. Her eyes are focused and almost seem as if she understands her position. If only he knew her true thoughts, he wouldn’t let that wicked smile be so tamed. “Besides, daughter,” his acid spewing tone becomes soft and almost gentle, “their deaths will be a cornerstone for what makes you the most powerful person in our tribe, after me of course, especially after I’m done with you. The fear that those fools will have will be something that even the Gods will speak of and shudder. I am only...” he pauses as his smile fades and his eyes become as cold as the winter ice. “I am only training you to become a legend that will carry my name for eons and beyond.”

Thyra listens intently, lowering her eyes to the floor. She says nothing as there isn’t anything that he will understand. He is no idiot. That much is obvious or he wouldn't be in the position he is now, but he is a power hungry fool, which will be what puts him in an early grave. 

She smiles and sinks into a low curtsy. Thyra isn’t sure about the bowing part, but it feels most appropriate for the moment. “You do know best, don’t you?” Her eyes stay cast to the ground as she smiles gently, though the warmth never reaches her eyes. 

Her father pats her head, believing he has won once again. “I do indeed,” he says, raising her head to make her look him in the eye. “I take it we understand one another. No more running away, that’s not the daughter I raised.”

  
“No more running away,” Thyra promises.  _ I will never again run away from a fight. Just you wait, father. I’ll show you what kind of daughter you raised. _


	6. Chapter 6

By now, months have passed and Thyra is still no closer to getting back at her father or getting out of there. Playing the obedient daughter did give her some perks though. 

In the first few weeks, Thyra wasn’t allowed to leave their home, only when someone would accompany her, and even that was rare. The only time she really went out was during the dreaded weekly arena games. They’re even more vile and despicable than she remembered them being. At first, she turned her head away from the sight, earning herself a punishment every time once they got home. Now, she just makes herself watch, even if her heart breaks just a little more with every dragon that meets its end in the Arena.

Other than the occasional sneer, most people of her tribe are quite civilized towards her but no more than that. Not many even take the time to truly talk to her in fear of rubbing her father the wrong way. Surely that will change soon as it won’t be long before she’s tied to the tribe forever.

A few days after her return to the village, her father announced to the whole tribe that she would be wedded to their strongest warrior, ensuring she’d be trapped there, though he didn’t say it in those words exactly.

At first, Thyra was sure that she’d be long gone before that would come to pass, but with every passing day, she gets less sure of that. She’s still no closer to figuring out how to overthrow her father. He keeps a close eye on her and if he doesn’t, he gets her so-called fiance to do so.

To be fair, the guy isn’t so bad. He’s kind to her and protective any time someone says a bad word about her, but her father’s hand is so far up his ass that the poor man wouldn’t even know what he’s thinking even if his brain slapped him in the face with his opinion. It’s quite sad, honestly.

Thyra chuckles, imagining the sight of her fiance’s dazed look if that could really happen.

“What are you laughing about?” she hears someone say behind her. She turns around and is met with the very face she was thinking of just now.

She blushes profusely, pushing the thought away as she puts on a radiating smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s nothing, Birger, but I’m very glad to see you,” she says, playing with a strand of hair that has freed itself from her braid. She can see how his attention is immediately grabbed by that small action, making her suppress a smirk. She’s been flirting with this man for a long time, trying to take away her father’s control over the man by replacing it with her own. It would be great to have at least one person on her side when all hell breaks loose. “Is there anything you wanted to talk about?”

Birger seems to shake himself awake, blinking a few times before looking back at her. “I wanted to invite you to come sit with me at the Games tonight,” he says, his smile genuine and quite cute. “They say there’s an extra surprise this week.”

Thyra has to suppress a shiver, hating how happy he seems to get to attend something that celebrates murdering innocent dragons. “I’d love to go with you, but I don’t know if my father will let me. You know how he is when it comes to me,” she says, trying to let him down lightly though he’s not having it. 

“Don’t you worry about him, I already asked for his permission and he said it was alright.” Birger is silent for a moment before he seems to remember something. “Oh, I have something for you.”

He digs into his pocket, pulling out a bracelet made from Monstrous Nightmare hide. “This is made from last week’s dragon,” he says, walking over to her. He takes her arm without asking, putting it around her wrist. “I had it made especially for you.”

“Thank you,” Thyra says, trying not to show how nauseous this ‘gift’ is making her. How could anyone like such a thing? It shows just how barbaric their tribe truly is.

Birger doesn’t seem to notice how much his gift is affecting her as he pulls her flush against him. “Is that how you’re going to thank me?” he asks, smiling wolfish at the smaller woman, his green eyes filled with barely contained lust.

Thyra resists the urge to pull away and leans in, closing her eyes tightly as she kisses him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders as she clears her mind, making herself focus only on this kiss. He is quick to take control of the kiss, his hands moving all over her body. She allows it for a moment before pulling back. 

“Just a little longer to go,” she promises even though she hopes that she’ll never actually have to go through with this wedding. Birger might be a nice guy, she doesn’t think she could like him as more than a sort of friend, let alone love him as a husband. Especially with the hold her father has on him. Time is running out and she knows it all too well.

“Only a few days left,” Birger agrees, keeping his arm around her waist so she can’t step away further. “And then you’ll officially be mine.”

“You can do whatever you want to do with me as soon as we’re married,” Thyra hums, standing on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek just above his beard which tickles her face as she pulls back. “Did you think about my suggestion to take a trip after the wedding? To celebrate us and have some time… just the two of us on a small boat.” She smiles slyly, looking at him through her eyelashes. “It’s been so busy here lately, I hardly see you.”

Birger licks his lips, looking a little lost as he clearly enjoys the thought of having her all to himself without anyone else to interrupt them. Eventually, he shakes his head. “You know how much I’d love that but your father-”

“My father knows how important it is to have some time alone as a married couple. I’m sure he’ll agree to it if you suggest it. I just want some time alone with you but he thinks I can disappear suddenly if he doesn’t keep an eye on me,” Thyra says, pouting up at Birger, knowing he can’t handle that. “But a big guy like you can protect me from anything, can’t you? Promise you’ll try to talk to him? Please, for me?”

She can just see the battle going on in the guy’s primitive brain. Eventually he groans, relenting. “Okay, fine, I’ll try to talk to him about it but don’t go thinking it’ll change his mind. And you’d better be very grateful.”

  
“I already am,” Thyra says, pulling him into a kiss, allowing him to do whatever he wants.  _ If he can get me out of here, it’ll all be worth it. _


	7. Chapter 7

That afternoon is another training session with her father. Thyra gets changed into a loose fitted outfit before moving to the training grounds where her father is already waiting for her, the man holding two swords, the setting sun reflecting off of them.

“Good to see you’re on time for once, daughter,” Erwin says as she walks over to him. “Did Birger tire of you already?”

“He would never,” Thyra says lightheartedly, greeting her father with a quick curtsy. “I just didn’t want to keep you waiting as you’re already so sweet to allow me to spend tonight with him at the Games instead of me having to stay with you.”

“Didn’t he tell you? You two will obviously stay with me on the podium,” the man says, watching her closely to see if anything in her demeanor changes. “I just thought you’d like some more company for tonight’s special event.”

“What’s so special about tonight’s game?” Thyra asks casually, having perfected the art of keeping her feelings hidden. Having both her father and Birger with her on the podium? That can only be a trap waiting to be sprung. It has to be a test, but how? Isn’t every Game a test? What could be different about this one?

Ignoring his daughter’s question, Erwin gets started with the training of the day. “Ready yourself, daughter, today we will spar. I want to know how well you’ve trained on your own and if you have been paying attention thus far these past months. What did you remember from your training so far?”

Erwin throws one of the swords on the ground in front of Thyra but before she even has the chance to pick it up, he starts attacking already. His sword slashes the air only an inch from Thyra’s face, making the girl flinch and stagger back.

“Go on, grab the sword,” her father challenges her, his eyes darken in anger. “Don’t tell me you can’t bend down and grab something.”

Thyra grinds her teeth, lowering her point of gravity as she keeps her eyes on her father. She loosens up her arms by shaking them, already preparing herself for the next attack. She steps back a few paces before suddenly rushing forward. As soon as she sees her father move his sword arm, she falls to her knees, allowing herself to slide across the ground while throwing her top half back to be able to move under the cold steel unscathed. 

She uses the momentary confusion to grab the other sword from the ground and stand up, turned to her father. “What’s wrong, father? Did I surprise you?” 

Erwin growls, narrowing his eyes at her. Thyra only has time to sidestep as he comes at her, sword ending up slicing her arm. “Didn’t you think I was keeping an eye on you?“ he sneers, starting to attack viciously, giving her only enough time to defend herself. “You’re not going anywhere, not even after you get married. You’re going to stay right where you are so I can keep an eye on you. Don’t believe for a second that I’ve forgotten about your betrayal.”

Thyra bites her lip, faking moving right before going left, stepping away from her father though keeping her sword up. “I’m just trying to be a good fianceé,” she says innocently. “I thought he’d appreciate having some time alone together. Birger will make sure I won’t go anywhere. He can hardly keep his eyes off of me.”

“I noticed,” Erwin hums satisfied. “But he doesn’t know the truth about your past, now does he? No, you’re going to say right here in the village. First in my home and as soon as you’re married, you will move in with Birger. I expect you to take as much care of his home as you did of mine and if I notice you’re doing anything other than what you’re supposed to be doing, we’ll be right back where we started, with you being confined to your home and your home only.” 

Thyra nods, trying not to think too much about the bloody cut on her arm. “I understand, father,” she says, trying to look remorseful while also keeping her guard up in case he decides to attack again. “I’m just trying to show that I’ve changed. I will bring honor to our name. To you.”

Erwin nods. “Good girl. Now, we will go for one more round before you have to get ready for the Games.”

This time, Thyra is ready when he advances on her. She uses his momentum against him by stepping aside and grabbing his arm, pulling it back to make him fall. She makes sure to stumble and roll over as well, not wanting him to know her full strength yet.

“Very good, but still sloppy,” Erwin critiques as he gets up first, standing over her with his sword pointed at her chest. “When will you learn to listen to my advice?”

With the flick of his wrist, the sword nicks her cheek, a sign of her defeat. A small line of scarlet appears on her cheek but Thyra hardly flinches. She just gets up and hands her sword to her father before walking back up to their home, only clutching her wounds when she closes the door behind her, finding herself all alone.

Tears gather in her eyes, making everything go blurry. Still she forces them back as she moves to her room where she takes off her training gear and washes up, cleaning the cuts with extreme care. She looks at herself in the mirror. The girl staring back is covered in bruises and barely healed scars. 

Thyra sighs. It has to be soon. If she wants to get out of here and make sure her father doesn’t come after her again, she has to be quick or she’ll be forever stuck in his grip. “I have to do it,” she tells the girl in the mirror. “I have to challenge him to a duel. Tonight while everyone’s watching. It’s the only way.”

With this in mind, she gets dressed again, dressing her cuts before walking over to the arena where Birger is already waiting for her. As soon as he sees her, he pulls her into a demanding kiss which she has no choice but to return.

Together, they move over to her father’s podium which has the best view over the whole arena. As soon as everyone is gathered, Erwin stands up from his chair to perform his speech to the tribe. “My dear Barbarians,” he starts, earning loud howls and cheers from the crowd. He waits a moment for everything to die down before he continues. “As a treat for all of your hard work these last few months, we have a treat for you. You see, a few days ago, we’ve found an intruder.” The crowd calls out in anger but Thyra stays silent, watching her father closely who obviously enjoys the reactions he gets. “This intruder didn’t come here on his own. He’s had help… from a dragon.” 

To this, Thyra gasps, looking down at the arena where various vikings from their tribe are already gathered, armed with swords, shields and all kinds of other weapons.

“This dragonrider has come from Berk to capture Thyra once more.” At this notion, Birger pulls the girl close and she has to work hard once more not to fight her way out of his arms. “But we’ve caught him, along with his dragon. And tonight, for your very eyes, they will get the punishment they deserve. Tonight, they will die in the ring!”

To loud cheers, a great fence is opened and a young man is pushed out, quickly followed by a bright red dragon. 

Thyra rushes towards the edge of the podium, gasping as she looks down at the arena below. “Snotlout,” she mutters, looking from the boy to his Monstrous Nightmare. She then turns back to her father, seeing the satisfied look in his eyes. This is it, this is the punishment she was yet to get. Her father knew the Berkians lived and now she can’t do anything but watch as one of them is slaughtered in front of her. If she looks away now, she’s done for, but if she doesn’t do anything, Snotlout is done for.


	8. Chapter 8

“Father, wait,” Thyra starts, walking over to the man. “There has to be another way.”

Her father just hums, looking down at her and she immediately feels like a little kid again, being told off. “Are you saying that we should let this boy go unharmed? After everything he and his people did to us?”

She knows he’s baiting her but right now she can’t really do anything about that. “Of course not. I’m just asking for a moment. I want to speak to him. See it as closure.”

“You shouldn’t give him the light of day,” Birger says, looking at his fianceé like she’s crazy. “Don’t show them any emotion. It will be over soon enough and you’ll see that it will be closure enough. I don’t want you going anywhere near that guy.”

Erwin nods in agreement, clearly satisfied with his future son-in-law. “I agree,” he says, smirking at his daughter. “Who knows what that Hooligan will do once he gets you alone. It’s obviously too dangerous to risk.”

Thyra grinds her teeth, all kinds of excuses running through her head. “Someone can stay outside of the room to make sure I will be safe. Please? It would make me feel so much better. I will be well guarded the whole time.“

She pouts at the two men, just hoping that Birger will crack and convince her father for her. She can see the exact moment the young man loses his nerve.

“I’ll stay with them if it makes you feel better, sir,” he says, turning to Erwin. “I don’t think she’ll relent until she gets to talk to him.”

Erwin groans but nods. “That dragon will be locked up again and the boy will be detained before you’re allowed anywhere near him,” the man says. He waves over one of his men who immediately rushes towards the Ring as soon as he’s gotten his orders. Thyra nods, curtsying quickly to show her gratitude.

“I understand, father, thank you,” she says. The man grabs her arm, pulling her a little further away from Birger. 

“I don’t know what you’re planning to do but if I find out that you’re helping the boy escape or anything of the sort, your punishment will be severe,” the man says, keeping his voice low and his grip tightly around her arm.

Thyra makes sure to keep her features emotionless, innocent even. “I’ve learned my lesson, father. I won’t try anything,” she says, breathing through the pain in her already injured arm. “I just need to say goodbye. I know this is all happening because of me and I have to at least apologize for causing this. This is my fault.”

Erwin pulls Thyra close, making a show out of kissing her forehead, something that would look fatherly to any other person watching. “You’d better remember that,” he says against her skin, making her shiver from head to toe. “Let this forever be a reminder of why you do not cross me, daughter. Now go, your little friend is waiting for you.”

He suddenly releases Thyra, pushing her towards Birger a little rougher than necessary which leads to her bumping into the warrior’s chest.

Birger chuckles, just thinking she’s a little clumsy. “One foot in front of the other,” he teases, taking her hand in his as he leads her down beneath the stands. Before they walk inside though, Birger turns the girl towards him. “You know I just want you to be safe right?” he says, looking her into the eye. “I can see that this is important to you but please reconsider. That guy is dangerous and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Thyra is speechless for a moment, not having thought Birger really felt this strongly about her. “Thank you for worrying about me, but I have to do this,” she says, kissing his cheek. “I promise I’ll call for you when I need help.”

They move on, walking to a small room where Snotlout is already waiting, tied to a chair.

Thyra gasps as she sees the poor guy stuck like that though she resists the urge to run up to him. She still has to uphold her cover. It’s the only way she’ll ever get to get out of this place. “Thank you for coming with me,” she says, kissing Birger’s cheek again before stepping away from him and into the room. “I’ll be right back and I’ll call for you if I need your help.” With that, she closes the door.

As soon as it’s closed, she rushes over to Snotlout, taking out the secret knife she keeps in her boot at all times. “What are you doing here, you idiot?” she asks, starting to cut the ropes that are holding him in place. “Don’t you know how much trouble you are in? They’re dead-set on killing you.”

Snotlout snorts. “No worries, I have a plan,” he says, stretching his limbs as soon as he’s free once more. “You could do something about your hospitality around here though.”

Thyra groans, slapping the back of Snotlout’s head. “Didn’t you hear what I said? My father has everyone convinced that you guys had me locked up for years. You being here with Hookfang is just making everything worse. I was so close to figuring out a way out of here but now I’ll be back to square one because I can’t just let them kill you.”

She turns around her knife so the heft is turned towards Snotlout. “Here, take this. Hookfang is locked up down the hall. The lock is quite easy to crack open, it really hasn’t changed since I left. Make sure you two get out of here and don’t let anyone catch you.”

“But what about you?” Snotlout asks, taking the knife from her. “We’re here to rescue you after all.”

“You can’t. Not right now at least,” Thyra says, shaking her head. “I’m being watched too closely and if I leave now, my father will take it out on Berk again. I’m trying to work on another way to get out but it’s slow going. Just cut me and make a run for it. Trust me, it’s for the best for both of us.”

Snotlout doesn’t seem to want to back down so Thyra thinks quickly and takes the guy’s hand holding the knife, making him cut her arm. “I’d start running if I were you,” she says before she lets herself fall down and cries out for help.

Almost immediately, Birger runs into the room. As he rushes over to Thyra, Snotlout seems to get into action, rushing out of the room and towards his dragon.

Thyra grabs Birger’s hand, making the guy focus on her instead of the fleeing prisoner. “He tried to kill me,” she says, pulling Birger close. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t react this fast.”

Birger hugs her close and a sudden feeling of guilt falls over Thyra. She knows she’s leading the guy on but she really doesn’t have any other choice right now. Hopefully, her father will believe her lie as well or else she’s in big trouble.


	9. Chapter 9

As it happens, Snotlout and Hookfang were able to escape without a trace. The only problem about it, is that Erwin wasn’t as gullible as Birger, leading to Thyra being locked up in her room after being punished once again for disobeying his orders.

She moves around the room almost feverishly, holding a wet cloth against her new black eye as she glances at her window every now and again, just hoping that the boy and dragon are somewhere safe where the villagers can’t get to them.  _ It’s all worth it, _ she keeps telling herself.  _ Saving them is worth the pain. _

Suddenly, she hears the flapping of wings and as she looks up, she sees a black shadow floating in the air near her window, even darker than the winter evening’s sky around it. “I could’ve known that Snotlout wasn’t the only dragonrider here,” she says, shaking her head. “Hiccup, I’m telling you the same thing I told him, there’s nothing you can do for me so go and live your life.”

“I should’ve known you could hear us coming,” Hiccup says, appearing seemingly out of nowhere. 

“I’ve been living with dragons for years, remember. Of course I can hear it when one is right outside of my window, even if it’s a Nightfury,” Thyra chuckles, shaking her head at her friend while she reaches out to pet Toothless’s snout. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought it was time we talked,” Hiccup says, holding out his hand to her. “I promise I’ll get you back here before anyone finds out you’re gone.”

Thyra hesitates for a moment before she finally puts away the cloth and climbs out of her window, taking Hiccup’s hand. She quickly climbs on behind him and soon they’re soaring through the air. She can’t suppress a happy laugh as she throws her arms wide, having missed this freeing feeling. Flying is so much more than just a transportation from point A to point B, it’s a way of life and once you’re used to it, it’s hard to stop doing or loving.

“I’ve missed this,” she says as they slow down and begin to descend, the flight being over way too fast for Thyra’s liking though another surprise is waiting for her as they land. “Gaoth!” she gasps, jumping down from Toothless’s back to run over to her own dragon, hugging her tightly. “I missed you so much, girl. I thought I would never see you again.”

Tears now freely roll down Thyra’s cheeks as she cuddles with the giant dragon that seems like a big puppy in her arms, just as happy to see her rider again. 

“So, what’s this big plan of yours?” she hears a female voice ask. Thyra turns around, seeing the rest of the team standing there. 

Thyra smiles softly at them all, glad to have such good friends. “I’m going to take down my father once and for all,” she says. “It’s the only way to end this with the least amount of casualties.”

“What can we do to help?” Fishlegs asks, stepping forward even though he seems a bit hesitant.

Thyra looks from one person to the next, smiling as she knows that she won’t be alone in this fight. She wipes her eyes and gets up, keeping a hand on Gaoth’s head as if to steady herself. “Okay, so here’s the plan.”

\------

Some time later, Hiccup drops her off again in her room. He’s gone just in time as, right as she steps away from the window, her door is opened and Birger walks inside. “We’ve searched everywhere but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“So now what?” Thyra asks, acting oblivious. “What’s father’s plan for now? Will the search continue tomorrow?”

“For now, the search is called off. Though I have convinced your father to allow me to stay here for the night, to make sure you’re safe.”

“You’ll be staying here? As in, my room here?” Thyra asks, her heart pounding in her chest.

“See it as practice for our marriage,” Birger says, trying to reassure her. “It’s the best way I can think of to keep you safe and sound.”

Thyra can’t help but blush. “Are you really doing all of this just for me?”

“Of course,” Birger says, walking over to the young woman, taking her hands in his. “I want you to be safe, always, so I’ll do whatever is in my power to make sure that’s what you are.”

Thyra smiles, subconsciously stepping closer to Birger. “No one’s ever done something like that for me,” she says softly. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you,” the man says as he leans down to give her a sweet kiss, one she doesn’t mind returning one bit.


	10. Chapter 10

Just a few days later, it’s finally time for the wedding. Thyra wakes up extra early that morning, making sure she looks impeccable for the big day. The last few nights, she’s had to share her bed with Birger though last night she got him to sleep in his own home, alone, for one last night. 

Suddenly, her door opens and her father walks into her room, not bothering to knock. “I see that you’ve been busy,” he says, eyeing her up and down, clearly happy with what he sees. “I’m glad to see that you do as you’re told for once.”

“It’s not like I have any other choice left. You’ve won, father. Just like you always do,” Thyra says, making sure to appear defeated and small. “I’ll do as you tell me. I’ll go through with the marriage and I’ll stay right here in the village.”

“That’s my good puppet,” Erwin says, patting her cheek like he’s petting an animal. “Now, time to go, dear daughter.”

He takes her arm and starts to lead her to the town hall where everyone is gathered to bear witness to the wedding. Birger is already waiting for them as they come walking up to the front of the hall.

Just as it’s about to start, the dragonriders come flying in, landing their dragons right outside the hall. All members of the Barbarian tribe get up, calling out angrily. Before they can grab their weapons though, Thyra jumps in, taking care to stay away from her father.

“I hope you all don’t mind me inviting some of my friends,” she calls out. At this, all eyes turn to her. “You see, these Berkians aren’t my captors. They’re my friends.”

“Thyra, stop talking right now,” her father warns her but she pushes through, strengthened by the presence of her friends. 

“It’s time for everyone to know the truth of the matter. You see, father would have you all believe that I’ve been held captive all these years but the truth is that I left willingly,“ Thyra says, smiling as Gaoth also lands next to their friends. “For years now, I’ve been living with dragons and from experience, I can say that what we’re told about them isn’t true. Everyone always tells us that dragons are these evil creatures that have it in for us, but that’s not true at all. Dragons are like vikings, really. Once in a while there’s a rotten apple in the bunch but most of them are innocent, loving creatures.”

She walks over to Gaoth, scratching the dragon’s head. “For centuries, we’ve been fighting dragons, killing them for fun, for sport. That can’t go on any longer. There has to be a point where we say enough is enough. It’s time to fight alongside dragons instead of against them.”

“It’s worse than I imagined,” her father says, faking shock. “They seem to have convinced you that you’re one of them.”

Thyra shakes her head, a grave look on her face as she pulls a sword from one of Gaoth’s saddlebags. “It’s quite the opposite, really. You see, I taught them all I know about dragons instead of the other way around. Together with these six vikings, I changed the way the Hooligan tribe sees dragons. All it takes is a few people who are willing to open themselves up to a new way of thinking.”

In response, her father also draws his sword. Gaoth growls as she keeps her eyes on the viking, making herself ready to pounce.

“It’s alright, girl,” Thyra says, keeping her eyes on her father as well. “Remember, this is about showing that you don’t form a threat. It’s him that is the threat.”

“You ungrateful girl,” Erwin snaps, advancing at her. Thyra only has time to block his first blow before it hits her. “Time to show what you’re made of because you sure are no child of mine.”

“Thank Odin for that,” Thyra says, trying to rattle his cage as she moves backwards, further away from the tribe so no one gets injured by accident.

It surely works as her father gets even angrier, forcing her further and further back towards the cliffside. “Should we see how well you fly without your dragon with you?” her father growls, swinging his sword with reckless abandon.

“Father, stop this,” Thyra says, eventually rolling out of the way, her arm already aching from having to defend herself blow after blow. “All I’m asking is to have my freedom back. Give me that, along with the freedom of all trapped dragons and I’ll leave you be. You have my word.”

“You’re still under the impression that you have any say in what will happen here, but you don’t. None of you have,” Erwin sneers, advancing at her once more. “There’s only one choice for you, either you submit now, or I will be forced to fight you to the death.”

Thyra sighs, really not wanting this to have come this far. For all he’s done to her, he’s still her father and she’ll keep loving him no matter what. “I’m sorry, father. I can’t back down now. Not anymore.”

“I already hoped you’d say that,” her father says, smirking wolfishly as he looks down at her. “Let’s get this over with once and for all, dear daughter.”

With that, he starts to fight her once more though this time, Thyra is prepared, parrying and pushing back more than before. “I see you’ve been holding out on me,” Erwin says, impressed despite the fact that they’re fighting. “But don’t think you’ll be winning.”

“We’ll see about that,” Thyra huffs, starting to push harder. They go to and fro for some time, neither wanting to lose but eventually Thyra sidesteps her father mid-strike, grabbing the guy’s arm and slamming the hilt of her sword against his hand, breaking at least a few bones and making him drop his sword. 

She quickly moves to grab it after working her father to the ground, holding both swords out towards the chief, points pointing straight at his chest. “It’s over, father. This fight and your grip on everyone.”

“Get it over with already,” Erwin growls, sitting back on his knees, looking up at his daughter. “Go on, kill me. Claim your birthright.”

Thyra cries out, light flashing off the steel swords as she strikes. Panting hard, she sinks the swords deep in the ground as she looks at her father, two bright red cuts on his cheeks where she cut him. “I beat you. I don’t have to kill you. Be glad I show you mercy and go. Take your pathetic life and leave this place, never to return.”

With that, she gets up and turns to walk away. Suddenly, she can just feel Gaoth panicking and her body seems to react all on its own accord as she whirls around, her foot connecting with her father’s chest.

The man stumbles, the raised sword in his hand dropping as his foot slips and he falls off the cliff. Thyra can only stare at the place her father stood just seconds ago. 

It’s over, Erwin the Cruel is gone.

Gaoth is quick to fly over to Thyra, making the girl pay attention to the dragon instead of what just happened. She rubs her head against the girl’s chest, wanting her to know that she’s not alone. As if on automatic pilot, Thyra pets the dragon’s head, getting onto her back.

Together, they fly back to the rest of the tribe who’ve been watching everything unfold. Birger is about to walk over to her but the dragonriders are faster, already moving over to her. 

“Are you alright?” Hiccup asks immediately.

“Come on, let’s go home. It’s over now,” Snotlout says. 

Thyra looks from her friends to her father’s tribe standing behind them. “You should go,” she says, immediately knowing that she’s making the right decision. “I’m going to stay here. Before, when I left, I thought I was meant to live my life separate from this all but the longer I’m here, the more I’m starting to think that this is where I’m meant to be.”

“What does that mean?” Birger asks, walking up to the girl. 

“I want to stay and lead this tribe into a new era… if you all will have me at least,” Thyra says, looking from Birger to the rest of their tribe. “I know I haven’t been the best viking out here but I know I’m ready to follow in my father’s footsteps. To be a chief you can all be proud of.”

Birger can hardly seem to contain his excitement at her confession which makes Thyra blush brightly. “I think I speak for all of us if I say that we’d be honored to have you as our new chief,” he says as the tribe elder steps forward with a small bowl with paint. 

Thyra takes a deep breath and sinks to one knee for the old woman. The woman dips a wrinkly old finger in the paint, drawing an intricate design on her forehead.

“Long live the chief!” Birger calls out which is soon chanted by the whole village.

“Now, how about we go throw a party for our dear Berkian friends before we send them on their way again,” Thyra suggests, to which everyone cheers.


	11. Epilogue

“Give everyone at Berk my regards,” Thyra says as she walks her friends back to their dragons after the feast. 

After being made the new chief, she immediately went to change her clothes, the wedding having been forgotten completely. Together with everyone, they released all caged dragons that were still trapped in the arena. “I’ll be sure to come visit as much as possible though these first few months will be a lot to rearrange and to get everyone on board.”

“Will you be alright?” Astrid asks, hugging her friend.

Thyra looks back, seeing Birger standing with Gaoth, trying to feed the dragon. She chuckles, her heart swelling at the sight. “I think this is exactly where I should be,” she says happily. “Actually, I think my father has truly given me an unexpected gift when he brought me back here.” 

“I can see,” Astrid says, winking at her. “Invite us to the redo of that wedding of yours.”

“No promises,” the new chief says, ushering her friends onto their dragons. “Now go home before it’s way too late to go flying. And remember, if you ever need any help, me and Gaoth are only a shout away.”

Goath and Birger move closer to them as the Hooligan dragonriders climb onto their dragons and take off.

“I have to admit, your friends are actually pretty fun,” Birger says, staying slightly away from Thyra, not really knowing how to hold himself.

“They really are,” Thyra says, chuckling awkwardly, just as lost as him.

Gaoth huffs, moving over to her rider and pushing the girl forward with a bump of her head, making Thyra just about fall into Birger’s arms and making both blush profusely.

“Sorry,” Thyra mumbles, trying to collect herself though she doesn’t step away from the guy, staying in his secure arms which are wrapped around her waist. 

“Thyra, what are we?” Birger asks, not sounding like the confident guy he usually is as he looks down at her. “I mean, your father wanted us to get married but I’m just wondering… with him gone… you probably have something else in mind.”

“Actually, I was thinking we could start a little slower,” Thyra says slowly, her already red cheeks burning a bit brighter. “I was hoping you’d want to date me instead.” 

Birger’s face lights up. “I’d be honored,” he says, picking her up and twirling her around which earns him a giggle.

“Thank you for standing by me,” she says when she’s firmly with two feet on the ground again. “Now, how about I show you my world?”

She leads him over to Gaoth, climbing into her saddle. Seeing the conflicted look in Birger’s face, she holds out her hand to him. “Come on. I promise we’ll go easy on you.”

Birger huffs, climbing on behind her, placing his hands on her hips just in case. “Like I’m scared of flying.”

Thyra chuckles. “Let’s go, girl,” she says affectionately to the dragon and soon they’re up in the air, Birger screaming and Thyra laughing.


End file.
